Field Trip to New Mormon Temple by GYMM

Eight members of the Young Adult Group, soon to be GYMM (Generation Y and Millennial  Ministries), toured the Hartford Connecticut Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Saturday, October 22nd. Once Mormon Temples are dedicated, only Mormons in good standing in the LDS are allowed to enter. Our group was able to take advantage of the brief window of time when the LDS offers tours for the public before the new temple is dedication.  Even though it was a cold and rainy day, there was a canvas backdrop of the temple that we were able to pose in front of to take a group photo. We were unable to take pictures of the inside, but all of us were awed by the craftsmanship and attention to details. The inside is complete with a number of rooms each dedicated to a sacred tradition. Most of us found the baptismal room, where Mormons can do baptisms on behalf of the deceased, as the most impressive. It contained a small pool, about the size of a hot tub, seemingly floating above a sunken floor but elevated on the backs of 12 oxen statues, which represented the 12 tribes of Israel. There is also a large room for meditation and prayer which features an impressive crystal chandelier. Our impressions were mixed but the experience certainly led to an interesting conversation on the ride home.

Submitted by Braxton Carrigan for the November Springboard